New web mail service launched

New contender offers domain names, web hosting and 150MB inbox

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BuyDomains.com has launched a free web-based email service that shuns pop-up ads and gives users 150MB of inbox storage and the option of choosing from 130 pre-selected domain names for their e-mail address.

The company, a seller of domain names, will officially launch the service, called SeeqMail, on Wednesday, but users can already sign up for it at www.seeqmail.com.

SeeqMail scans incoming and outgoing e-mail messages for viruses, offers spam filtering and provides an online calendar and address book, said Michelle Miller, COO of BuyDomains.com. SeeqMail also features a streamlined user interface designed to load quickly, lets users encrypt their email messages and supports POP3 (Post Office Protocol 3) and IMAP (Internet Message Access Protocol), she said. "Our goal is to offer a great email service to our customers," Miller said.

The 150M bytes of inbox storage will help to put BuyDomains.com in a competitive position with other providers of free web-based email, such as Yahoo, which is offering 100MB, and Microsoft, which is offering 250MB. Anything above 100MB is generally considered more than enough for an average user. An upcoming web-based email service from Google will feature a 1GB inbox.

Meanwhile, SeeqMail will let users choose from 130 domain names for their email address, such as teacherzone.com, caterers.net and techexpert.com. This will allow users to offer a level of personalisation for their email address, rather than using the domain name of the email provider, Miller said. The full list is at http://www.seeqmail.com/names.html.

These are domain names that BuyDomains.com owns and has set aside for SeeqMail users, Miller said. The list will grow to about 500 domain names in the coming months, she said. SeeqMail also lets users employ their own domain name, if they own one or if they want to buy one from BuyDomains.com, she said.

SeeqMail will generate revenue for BuyDomains.com through a banner ad running across the bottom of users' inbox and through text ads included in outgoing email messages, she said.

Founded in 1999, BuyDomains.com's core business is selling domain names. It has a portfolio of about 350,000 registered domain names for sale. It also provides complementary services, such as web hosting, domain transfer, domain registration and technical support. The company will promote SeeqMail at www.buydomains.com, at its main portal www.seeq.com, and across its network of over 20 topic-specific portals, Miller said.